Compendium of History Reminiscence & Biography of
Western Nebraska

CHAPTER IV.

STATE INSTITUTIONS, SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.

THE UNIVERSITY OF
NEBRASKA.

The University of Nebraska,
located at Lincoln, was founded by an act of the legislature
passed in 1869. It was opened and students received in 1871. The
various acts of the legislature providing for its organization
authorized the establishing of various departments and laid the
groundwork for one of the greatest educational institutions in the
Union. Allen R. Benton Ph. D. was the first chancellor.

The university comprises the
graduate school, the college of literature, science and the arts,
the industrial college, the college of law, schools of
agriculture, mechanical arts, and domestic science. Collegiate
courses preparatory to law and journalism, and medicine as well as
a special teacher's course and summer sessions are offered. The
regents of the university have also entrusted to their care the U.
S. Experiment Station, and the central office of the Nebraska
section of the climate and crop service of the U. S. Weather
Bureau is located within its grounds. Courses in University
extension including Farmers' institutes are given as a means of
education to those beyond the bounds of the University. Admission
to the university is by certificate from about seventy-five
accredited schools or by examination. The degrees are A. B.; B.
Sc.; B. Sc. in engineering courses; LL. B.; A. M., and Ph. D.
Tuition is free except in the professional and special courses,
where a nominal fee is charged. A matriculation fee of five
dollars is provided by statute. A system of fellowships and
scholarships exists, and in each county maintaining a first-class
three or four year high school a scholarship is awarded the
student passing the best competitive examination. Several prizes
are offered along certain lines of college activity, such as
oratory and literature. The university has a campus in the center
of the city of Lincoln of twelve acres, and an experiment station
farm of three hundred and twenty acres. There is a score of
buildings, the most prominent being university hall, the chemical
laboratory, Grant memorial hall, containing the armory and
gymnasium, library building, Nebraska hall, mechanic arts hall,
the library, the Patho-triological laboratory, dairy hall, and
Soldiers' memorial hall.

The College Farm (including the
Experiment Station farm) was secured by the exchange of State land
and the payment of about $20,000 out of State funds. The property
is now valued at about a quarter of a million dollars. On the farm
are the buildings for the use of the Experiment Station. The total
value of the entire property of the university is now estimated at
over one million dollars.

THE STATE BOARD OF
AGRICULTURE.

The fifth territorial
legislature, in an act approved October 14, 1858, providing for
the organization of county agricultural societies, established a
territorial board of agriculture to receive and digest reports
from, and of the several organizations, and to hold annual
meetings for the purpose of deliberating and consulting as to the
wants, prospects and conditions of the agricultural interests
throughout the territory. This board as originally constituted,
consisted of Thomas Gibson, Harrison Johnson, A. D. Jones,

96 COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN
NEBRASKA

The first meeting of the board
was held in Omaha, October 30, 1858, the election of officers for
the ensuing year resulting as follows: President, R. W. Furnas;
secretary, A. D. Jones, treasurer, J. M. Thayer; board of
managers, E. H. Chaplin, H. Baird, M. S. Reeves, Broad Cole, and
C. Bobst. It was determined at this meeting that the first annual
fair be held three days in succession, in September, 1859, in such
county as offered the largest donations, privileges and best
accommodations. Under this arrangement Otoe county was selected as
the location and the first territorial fair was held at Nebraska
City, September 21, 22 and 23, 1859. The amount actually awarded
in premiums was $355, in addition to a gold watch, saddle and
bridle, and two sets of jewelry valued at $115, and a goodly
number of diplomas. The address of the occasion was delivered by
J. Sterling Morton. At the end of the report of the fair to the
next legislature, the committee "beg leave to say that this first
territorial fair of Nebraska, though not a complete success, was
far from a failure. Taking all things into consideration, it is a
marvel that we have done half so well."

This was the only territorial
fair ever held in Nebraska, no decided effort appearing to have
been made toward another exhibition until 1868, when the board
having been changed to a State organization by the admission of
the territory, held a second annual fair, also at Nebraska City,
October 7, 8 and 9, 1868. Under the State organization the number
of incorporated members was increased from sixteen to
twenty-eight. In early days of the State's history, the State
fairs were held at various places, including Nebraska City,
Brownville, Omaha and Lincoln.

The State board of agriculture
embraces all the minor kindred organizations, the horticultural
society and others, reports of which are incorported (sic), in the
official statements of the board to the legislature. It has since
its institution as a territorial organization, fostered,
encouraged and developed the farming interests of Nebraska,
stimulating honest rivalry. To it the State owes much of its
present popularity, and to the indefatigable efforts of its
officers, is due in a great measure the fact, not that Nebraska is
an agricultural State, but that she is preeminently, because
scientifically, such. The object of the association has been and
is, to advertise and make known in every possible way the
agricultural advantages, products, resources, possibilities and
promises of the State. Of late years this has been done, not only
by holding annual fairs and exhibitions, but by the publication of
a four hundred-page volume of agricultural, horticultural, dairy,
forestry, live stock, crop, botanical, geological, entomological,
meteorological, civil engineering, zoological, and other important
data and information.

SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
AND DUMB.

The Nebraska School for the Deaf
and Dumb was established in 1869, with Prof. William M. French as
principal. The object of the institution, as set forth in the law
and in the first report of the superintendent is "to promote the
intellectual, physical and moral culture of the deaf and dumb by a
judicious and well adapted course of instruction, that they may be
reclaimed from their lonely and cheerless condition, restored to
society, and fitted for the discharge of the duties of life." The
object of the organization has remained the same, and in many
instances has been accomplished. The first year there were
enrolled twelve pupils and the school was housed in a rented
building. This institution is doing excellent work in carrying out
the intent of the law and the object of the school. An exhibit was
made at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of work
from all departments of the school, which attracted marked
attention. The exhibit was awarded a diploma and gold medal by the
exposition, and the committee appointed to judge of the work done
in the education of the defective classes, awarded the Nebraska
School for the Deaf a diploma for first rank. This committee
awarded but one of first rank.

COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN
NEBRASKA 97

THE NEBRASKA INSTITUTION FOR
THE BLIND.

This institution, which is
located at Nebraska City, was opened in 1875. To secure the
institution, Nebraska City donated $3,000 and ten acres of ground
just north of the city limits. On this site substantial buildings
have been erected, and the institution is admirably conducted and
doing good work. The school was first opened in rented rooms,
March 10, 1875. At the beginning there were only three students,
but the enrollment reached twenty-one by the close of the first
two years. Samuel Bacon was the first superintendent.

STATE
PENITENTIARIES.

The Nebraska State Penitentiary
is located at Lancaster, about three miles south of the city of
Lincoln. Under grants from the Congress of the United States, by
acts of 1864 and 1867, the State of Nebraska received 32,044 acres
of land for penitentiary purposes. The act providing for the
building of the State Penitentiary, on the site donated for that
purpose by Capt. W. T. Donavan and Mr. Hilton, was passed March 4,
1870. W. W. Abbey, W. W. Wilson and F. Tlemplin were appointed
prison inspectors to attend to selling the land granted by the
government for prison purposes, and to superintend the building,
$5,000 being appropriated for the erection of a temporary prison.
The first warden of the penitentiary was Henry Campbell. The
institution has always ranked high among the penal institutions of
its class in the country.

NEBRASKA HOSPITAL FOR
THE INSANE.

This institution is located at Lincoln. As early as 1865, it
was found necessary to make provision for the insane in the
Territory of Nebraska. Four cases were already being cared for in
an Iowa hospital. The legislature authorized the governor to make
some arrangement with the State of Iowa, by which they received
and cared for the insane at the expense of Nebraska. Under this
arrangement fifty patients were sent at various times to the
hospital at Mount Pleasant. Soon after Nebraska became a State the
governor, secretary of State and auditor of public accounts were
appointed a board of commissioners to locate a site for a State
lunatic asylum near the city of Lincoln. The first building was
completed at a cost of $137,000 in the fall of 1870, and the first
patient was admitted November 26th of that year. Early in the
following December, seventeen patients were brought over from
Mount Pleasant to the new institution, and four were admitted who
had been confined in the Pawnee county jail. Dr. N. B. Larsh was
the first superintendent. In April, 1871, the institution was
destroyed by fire. Five patients were reported missing and were
never afterwards accounted for. The remaining patients were taken
to Lincoln and cared for in rented houses until a temporary
building was erected on the asylum grounds. As there was no
appropriation available, and the citizens of Lincoln were fearful
lest the institution should be removed to some rival city, they
advanced the funds necessary to build a temporary frame structure,
which did service as a hospital until a new stone building was
erected the following year. Since that time the institution has
been enlarged by the erection of additional buildings, until today
it is one of the most modern institutions of its kind in the
country. As the population of the State increased, the number of
insane persons likewise increased, thereby making it necessary to
increase the capacity of the hospital. The congestion was also
relieved by the erection of other institutions at Hastings and
Norfolk. The first patients were sent to the Norfolk hospital
February 15, 1888, and to the Asylum for the Chronic Insane at
Hastings, August 1, 1889. Originally the State guaranteed the
expense of caring for insane patients, and when possible,
collected the amount so expended from the estate of the patient,
or from his or her natural guardians. Later the superintendent
certified to the auditor the number of patients from each county,
and the auditor of public accounts certified to the commissioners
of the several counties the amounts due for the maintenance of
their insane. In 1883 this was changed and the State assumed the
entire expense of caring for this class of persons.

No effort has been spared to
bring the hos-

98 COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

pital service up to the highest standard of efficiency, and the
citizens of Nebraska may well be congratulated on the excellent
reputation which the Nebraska Hospital for the Insane bears in the
surrounding states.

ASYLUM FOR THE CHRONIC
INSANE

The Asylum for the Chronic Insane
was located near the city of Hastings in the year 1888, the first
building being erected from an appropriation allowed by the
legislature of 1887. The capacity of the building at the time was
one hundred and eighty patients. The institution was opened for
the admission of patients in August, 1889, Dr. M. W. Stone being
the first superintendent, having been appointed by Governor
Thayer. The object of the institution is to care for the more
quiet and those found to be chronic after treatment in the asylums
of the State for the acutely insane. The legislature has since
from time to time made large appropriations for additional
buildings for enlarging the scope and usefulness of the
institution.

NORFOLK HOSPITAL FOR
INSANE.

The Norfolk Hospital for Insane
owes its origin to an act of the legislature of 1885 appropriating
$75,000 to build an insane hospital within three miles of the city
limits of Norfolk, provided the city should donate three hundred
and twenty acres of good land upon which to locate said
institution. The three hundred and twenty acres were donated,
commanding a most beautiful view of the lovely valley of the
Elkhorn, its tributary, the North Fork, and the surrounding
country. The first building was completed in November, 1886. The
legislature has from time to time made liberal appropriations to
extend and enlarge this institution and it ranks among the most
important eleemosynary institutions of the State.

NEBRASKA INSTITUTION
FOR FEEBLE MINDED YOUTHS.

This institution is located at
Beatrice, Gage county. It was established by the State of Nebraska
in 1885, for the benefit of feebleminded children between the ages
of five and eighteen years, who are by reason of their affliction,
denied the educational advantages of the public schools, and who,
likewise, because of their physical weakness, are necessarily
dependent. We quote the following from the act of the legislature
creating this institution viz: "Besides shelter and protection,
the prime object of said institution shall be to provide special
means of improvement for that unfortunate portion of the community
who were born, or by disease may become, imbecile or feebleminded,
and by a well adapted course of instruction reclaim them from
their helpless condition, and through the development of their
intellectual faculties fit them as far as possible for usefulness
in society. To this end there shall be furnished them such
agricultural and mechanical education as they are capable of
receiving." Children who are residents of Nebraska, who are
feeble-minded, and those who have such marked peculiarities or
eccentricities of intellect, or those who, by reason of their
being backward, are unable to receive the benefits of the common
schools and ordinary methods of instruction, are entitled to care
and training free of charge, except the expense of necessary
clothing and transportation to and from their homes. Since the
institution was founded about one thousand applications have been
made for admission, about half of which have been received as
patients. The work of the institution covers a useful scope. Aside
from the school duties, the girls are taught sewing, house work,
cooking, and all branches of domestic employment, while the boys
are instructed in brush making, carpenter work, farm work, and
such other branches of employment as may be useful to them after
leaving the school.

THE HOME FOR THE
FRIENDLESS.

This institution is located
at Lincoln. In 1876 some of the charitable women of Nebraska
organized a society known as the "Home for the Friendless," the
object of which was to furnish a refuge for friendless children,
girls, young women and old ladies. This society was duly
incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and has been
managed continuously from

COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA
99

the time of its incorporation, by a board of ladies, who
have served without pay, mileage or financial recompense whatever.
Absolutely nonsectarian, as every religious organization has been
represented, and absolutely non-political. In 1881 the State
legislature appropriated the sum of $5,000 to aid the society in
the erection of a permanent building. As the State has grown, this
charitable work has increased and several legislative
appropriations have been made to assist the society in carrying on
their great work. It can safely be said that thousands of
friendless children have been received within the shelter of this
institution, and permanent homes have been found for them among
the substantial citizens of the State. A record is kept of each
child, and a useful future is assured to these unfortunate
children, who otherwise would have contributed to the haunts of
vice and swell the roll of criminals. Over a thousand wives and
mothers have been cared for by the Home, besides caring for many
aged inmates. The magnitude of this work can only be appreciated
by those who intimately acquaint themselves with the work of the
society. Christian women have devoted much of their time and
contributed of their substance to the caring for these
unfortunates for years. Auxiliary societies have been organized by
the charitable women of many towns throughout the State, and the
foundation has thus been laid for great charitable work in the
future.

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
HOME - GRAND ISLAND.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Home
at Grand Island was established under an act of the legislature of
1887. This act constituted the board of public lands and buildings
a commission to locate and establish a home for honorably
discharged soldiers, sailors and marines and hospital nurses who
served in the United States army or navy or hospitals during the
war of the rebellion, and who by reason, of such service, old age
or otherwise have become disabled from earning a livelihood -
providing such applicants have been actual bona fide residents of
Nebraska for two years next preceding such application. This
commission approved and accepted a site near the city of Grand
Island, containing six hundred and forty acres of land, which was
donated to the State by the citizens of Grand Island. The
management of the home is vested in a visiting and examining
board, consisting of five persons appointed by the governor, three
of whom must be honorably discharged volunteer soldiers, and two
of whom must be either wives, sisters or daughters of honorably
discharged soldiers and members of the Woman's Relief Corps of
Nebraska.

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
HOME - MILFORD.

A branch of the Soldiers' and
Sailors' Home was established by an act of the legislature, which
took effect April 9, 1895. This home is located near Milford, on
the banks of the Blue river, and the site comprises about
thirty-five acres. It consists of the sanitarium, park and
springs, together with a brick and stone building surrounded by
broad piazzas. The home is governed in like manner as the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Grand Island.

THE INDUSTRIAL HOME -
MILFORD

The industrial Home at Milford
was established in 1888. Its object is to protect and care for the
unfortunate and homeless girls, and thus prevent crime. In this
institution a home is offered and all opportunity given to
commence life anew, as without this opportunity and refuge, often,
if the will to reform is evident, the way is completely hedged in.
The institution is doing excellent work, and is a charitable
enterprise that is worthy of the support of the State.

STATE INDUSTRIAL
SCHOOL.

The State Industrial School at
Kearney was established by the legislature of 1870, Under the
title of State Reform School. The sum of $10,000 was appropriated
for the erection of the first building and its temporary
maintenance. The first building was completed in 1881, and the
records of the school show that the first boy was committed by W.
H. Ely, county judge of Dodge county, July 12, 1881. Since that
time nearly 1,500 boys have been committed to the school by the
different counties of the State, besides about 200 girls that

100 COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

were sent here previous to the establishing of the Girls'
Industrial School at Geneva in 1891. In 1887 the legislature
changed the title of the Kearney institution from the State Reform
School to that of the State Industrial School, the name it now
bears. The intention of the change in the name was to remove the
school, as much as possible, from a penal institution to that of
educational and industrial training, with the sole purpose in view
that, as far as possible, no stigma should be attached to the
unfortunate and wayward youths that have received their education
within its confines.

THE GIRLS INDUSTRIAL
SCHOOL.

The Girls' Industrial School at
Geneva was established in 1891, and the first building was
completed during the same year. Up to this time the boys and girls
were in one school at Kearney. The site for the school is located
less shall a mile from Geneva, Filmore county, on a beautiful,
elevated tract of land, containing forty acres. This institution
has done and is doing, noble work. The school is divided into
classes, or families as they are called, and graded or placed
according to the commitment, and are assigned a certain number of
demerits that must be cancelled (sic) by good behavior. They are
detailed regularly every three months in the industrial
departments and work one-half of each day, and are in school the
other half day. All are committed till they are twenty-one years
old, unless sooner released by the governor or the board. They
have an hour and a half to play each day, and there seems to be as
much happiness as is found in the ordinary boarding school. When a
girl has worked out on her "honor" and has no home, one is
provided for her where she goes on trial and is reported monthly.
Many such are now commanding good wages; some have married and
have homes of their own. While inmates are committed here for
certain offenses it is not a prison nor does it resemble one in
any way. It has no fences, nor bars on the windows, and the
surroundings are as inviting as any high school. The girls are not
here to take punishment for past mistakes, but for education and
protection from all harm, especially evil influences. No home has
better moral training.

STATE BOARD OF FISH
COMMISSIONERS.

The legislature of 1879 passed an
act creating the board of fish commissioners, for the purpose of
protecting, propagating and stocking the waters of the State and
to arouse interest in fish culture. Governor Garber appointed as
the first board of fish commissioners, William L. May of Fremont,
C. W. Kaley of Red Cloud, and B. E. B. Kennedy of Omaha. The
present site, consisting of fifty-two acres of ground lying along
the Platte river in Sarpy county, just south of the village of
South Bend was purchased in 1880, and, being well watered with
several magnificent springs, has proven well adapted for the
purpose for which it was acquired. J. G. Romine, of South Bend,
was the first superintendent, appointed at a salary of $500 per
annum. The board of commissioners received no salary, but were
allowed $250 per annum for expenses. The superintendent's salary
is now $1,200 per annum, and he is allowed several assistants.
When the station was first located, considerable attention was
paid to the hatching and distribution of white fish, and
land-locked salmon, but it soon became apparent that the waters of
this State were not adapted to these kinds of fish, and this work
was discontinued, and the work of hatching carp, black bass,
brook, rainbow and brown trout was taken up. The scope of the work
has gradually been broadened until now, in addition to the
varieties named, they also propagate croppie (sic) perch, catfish,
rock bass, tench and several kinds of ornamental fish, and, on the
whole, the work has been very successful.

COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA
101

Aughey, Lancaster county, Rev. J. M. Taggart and J. H.
Croxton, Otoe county; C. H. Walker, Franklin county; Hon. L.
Crounse and E. N. Grenell, Washington county; Prof. C. D. Wilbur,
Saline county; J. Q. Goss, Sarpy county; D. H. Wheeler and William
Gilmore, Cass county; O. T. B. Williams, Seward county; L. E.
Fifield, Buffalo county; Rev. L. W. B. Shryrock and E. Shugart,
Gage county; William Adair, Dakota county; Robert W. Furnas,
Nemaha county; H. T. Clark, Sarpy county; J. H. Brown, A.
Humphrey, J. H. Ames, John Cadman and A. G. Hastings, Lancaster
county; J. A. MacMurphy, Cass county; Hiram Craig, Washington
county; J. J. Budd, Douglas county; F. J. Hendershot, Thayer
county; S. A. Fulton, Richardson county; Theron Nye, Dodge county.
A constitution was adopted, providing officers and regulations,
and the first president, secretary and treasurer were
respectively: Hon. Robert W. Furnas, Prof. Samuel Aughey and W. W.
Wilson. The organization remained unchanged from 1878 to 1883,
having a president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary,
treasurer and board of directors. During this time the funds of
the society consisted solely of fees and dues paid in more or less
irregularly, and were very small. The members first met at the old
Commercial Hotel to organize, but usually thereafter the annual
meetings were held in some room at the State University. The
secretary, Professor Aughey, gathered a small nucleus of a
library, consisting of donations from R. W. Furnas, D. H. Wheeler,
Moses Stocking and others. The society began also to carry out
some of its proposed objects. These were: (1) To collect all
material relating to the history of Nebraska; (2) to publish as
much of it as possible; and (3) to found an historical library.

A subject of no small interest at
the time the society was organized, was that of the "historical
block." This was block twenty-nine of the original plat of the
city of Lincoln, later known as "Haymarket Square," and having the
city offices on it, which was set apart by act of the
commissioners and of the State legislature, February 15, 1869. It
was called "State Historical and Library Association Block," and
was for the benefit of the "State Historical Library Association,"
organized August 26, 1867. The society in question had some
sessions, and its president for some time was Hon. John Gillespie.
But for some reason the legislature, by act of February 24, 1875,
took away this block and gave it to the city of Lincoln. On the
organization of the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1878, an
effort was made to ascertain whether it was possible to recover
this block for the latter society, but the attempt was
abandoned.

In 1883 by act of the legislature
of February 23, 1883, the society was made a State institution,
and a sum appropriated for its support. This opened up to the
society a way to accomplish the purpose of publishing historical
material. The first volume was issued in 1885, which has been
followed by a number of additional volumes. The biennial
appropriations of the legislature for its support have increased
from time to time, but have hardly kept pace with the needs of the
society. Nebraska has made a good beginning in the matter of
collecting its own history, but its work does not as yet compare
with that of most of its sister states. The plans of the officers
of the society for the future contemplates an increase in the work
and effectiveness of the organization.

STATE BAR
ASSOCIATION.

The Nebraska State Bar
Association was organized January 6, 1876. The constitution states
the objects of the organization as follows: The association is
established to maintain a high standard of professional integrity
among the members of the Nebraska Bar, to cultivate social
intercourse and courtesy among them; to encourage a thorough and
liberal legal education, and to assist in the improvement of the
law and the due administration of justice to all classes of
society without distinction." The constitution provided for its
incorporation under the laws of the State, appointing the
president to take the necessary steps in the matter. Any member of
a county association may become a member and all judges of the
supreme district and federal courts of Nebraska are members by
virtue of their offices and have all the privileges of membership,
except voting. Its constitution pro-

102 COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

vides for punishment of its members for misconduct toward the
association and the administration of justice, but it is also a
vigilance committee to look after and punish in the courts the
misconduct of non- members.

NEBRASKA PRESS
ASSOCIATION.

An organization was effected on
December 6, 1859, of what was known as the Editors' and
Publishers' Association of Nebraska Territory. The first meeting
was held at the Herndon House, Omaha; The following persons being
present: Thomas Morton and M. W. Reynolds, of the Nebraska City
News; R. W. Furnas, of the Brownville Advertiser; T.
H. Robertson, of the Omaha Nebraskan; E. Giles, of the
Plattsmouth Sentinel; Burbank & Jamison, of the Falls
City Broad Axe; E. D. Webster, of the Omaha
Republican; and ex-editors H. D. Johnson, J. W. Pattison
and S. Beldon. On this occasion M. W. Reynolds was elected
president; R. W. Furnas, vice-president; and M. H. Clark,
secretary. Among the resolutions adopted at this meeting is one:
"That a public journal is an impersonality, and should be so
treated on all occasions; and that in our intercourse with each
other will neither use offensive personalities nor encourage them
in others; but that we will at all times discourage their use as
ungentlemanly (sic) and degrading to the profession of
journalism." At this meeting Geo. A. Hensdale and J. Sterling
Morton were elected honorary members.

The next reunion was held September 14, 1864, when the members
of an "Editorial Convention" assembled at Nebraska City, the
object as expressed in the call being to adopt uniform rates of
advertising. T. H. Robertson was elected president; W. H. H.
Waters, secretary; and a committee was appointed to prepare a
schedule of prices. The rates, as adopted secured publishers $2.50
for weekly subscriptions; $1.00 per month for daily subscriptions;
$5.00 per year for tri-weekly subscriptions. Legal and transient
advertisements to be inserted at the rate of $1.50 per square for
first insertion; $1.00 for each subsequent insertion, and the
price of all job work advanced 50 per cent.

In January, 1873, a preliminary meeting of the "Nebraska Press
Association" was held in Lincoln, at which Maj. Caffrey acted as
chairman and J. A. MacMurphy as secretary. With the appointment of
committees the meeting adjourned until February 27, 1873, at which
time a constitution and by-laws were adopted. No meeting was held
in 1874, but the organization has been maintained increasing in
importance and in the number of members and with growing zeal in
the profession, up to the present day. Its membership is
representative of all sections of the State, and its tendency the
creation of personal good will and harmony.

STATE MEDICAL
SOCIETY.

The organization of the Nebraska
State Medical Society Was effected at a meeting held in Omaha June
24, 1868. It was then declared that such an institution "organized
and conducted so as to give frequent united and emphatic
expression to the views and aims of the medical profession in this
State,, must at all times have a beneficial influence and supply
more efficient means than have hitherto been available here for
cultivating and advancing medical knowledge, for elevating the
standard of medical education, for promoting the usefulness, honor
and interests of the medical profession for enlightening and
directing the opinion in regard to the duties, responsibilities
and the requirements of medical men; for exciting and encouraging
emulation and concert of action in the profession, and for
facilitating and fostering friendly intercourse between those who
are engaged in it." The members of the society, were, by the
constitution, divided into three classes - delegates, members by
invitation, and permanent members. The constitution was signed by
the following, as the charter members: G. C. Monell, M. D.; H. P.
Mathewson, M. D.; James H. Peabody, M. D.; J. C. Denise, M. D., S.
D. Mercer, M. D., of Douglas county; R. R. Livingston, M. D., of
Cass county; D. Whitinger, M. D., N. B. Larsh, M. D., of Otoe
county and J. P. Andrews, M. D., and August Roeder, M. D., of
Washington county. The first officers elected were as follows:
Gilbert C. Monell, president; Robert R. Livingston,
vice-president; N. B. Larsh, second

COMPENDIUM
OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA
103

The first annual convention was
held at Nebraska City, June 1 and 2, 1869. The society is to-day
in prosperous condition and growing in power and influence. It has
from time to time issued full and valuable reports of its
proceedings, accomplishing, as far as possible, that which it
aimed to do - elevating the standard of medical education and
promoting the usefulness, honor and interests of the medical
profession.